Walking across the lush green lawn, the Forbidden Forest loomed dark ahead. The treetops rustled, and the tips of the beech trees scattered flakes of snow in the wind.
A small owl swooped through the plume of smoke rising from the chimney of Hagrid's hut. It headed toward the castle before disappearing around the side of the Owlery.
Sean looked down and saw Hagrid digging energetically in the garden patch out front. He had a pretty good idea of what the gamekeeper was up to—likely clearing more ground for his vegetable patch.
Hagrid looked fantastic. His face was flushed red, his eyes were fixed on his own massive hands, and a giant grin was hidden somewhere beneath that bushy, tangled black beard.
Every so often, he'd glance up to watch for an owl landing on his windowsill. As soon as one did, he'd rush over and tear open the newspaper it delivered. He only had to read a single line before his beard started trembling with emotion.
HOGWARTS GAMEKEEPER CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES: A WIZARD'S TERRIFYING PAST REVEALED!
It was a story from one of the boldest publications in the country, boasting a headline no wizard could ignore. But beyond the sensational title, the article itself was unexpectedly twisting, full of ups and downs.
From the secret legends of Hogwarts' past to the heart-stopping journey of discovery undertaken by a few young students—the subheaders alone were enough to keep eyes glued to the page: Ancient Secrets... Echoes in the Corridor... The Bleeding Sword... The Spider's Escape... The Shocking Truth...
Although the article didn't name the students explicitly, the sudden influx of House Points made it pretty obvious who was involved.
"Hagrid!" called Sean.
"Ah!" Hagrid jerked his head up. Seeing Sean and the others, he immediately dropped his hoe. "It's yeh lot! Come on in, quick—"
They all filed into the hut.
"Blimey, thank yeh... oh, I don' know what ter say..." Hagrid rubbed his hands together, frantically pouring pumpkin juice for everyone. "That terrible person... lurkin' inside Hogwarts fer so long. I never woulda guessed... Only Sean, an' Dumbledore o' course, knew the truth of it... It's good. It's brilliant. Now everyone knows... I always thought it didn' matter..."
A look of long-awaited relief washed over his face.
"Oh, it was nothing," Ron said, trying to break the silence settling over the room.
"Maybe," Hermione said pointedly. "After all, the biggest danger was taken care of right at the start."
Everyone knew exactly what she meant. If Sean hadn't discovered the Basilisk and miraculously defeated it, there was no telling how much destruction Voldemort—devoid of any humanity—would have caused at Hogwarts.
Hermione shuddered to think of it: countless students petrified, poor Hagrid dragged off to Azkaban again, or even worse—Dumbledore suspended from his post due to the attacks.
If that had happened, Hogwarts would have been in grave peril.
"Sean, come 'ere a sec, will yeh?" Hagrid asked. For all his rugged appearance, the giant had a surprisingly soft heart.
Sean generally didn't mind Hagrid's displays of affection—provided the hugs didn't dislocate his ribs. Today, however, there was clearly no escaping it.
Hagrid crouched down, and Sean suddenly felt something wet against the side of his head—tears. Hagrid was trying his best to control himself; Sean could feel the gentle, tentative nature of the embrace before the gamekeeper quickly let go.
"Thank yeh. Thank yeh," Hagrid choked out. After wiping his eyes, his mood shifted rapidly into one of pure elation.
He insisted they stay for tea, then shouldered his hoe to go fetch a fresh pumpkin from the patch.
"Oh, by the way," Hagrid called out as he walked toward the garden. "Professor Dumbledore gave me some brilliant news fer next term... I dunno how ter tell yeh how excited I am, but yeh'll find out soon enough. Blimey, it's all thanks to you lot. Truly amazin'..."
"What news?" Ron asked, burning with curiosity.
"Oh, it ain't official yet, but yeh'll see next term," Hagrid said, humming a happy tune as he lumbered away.
"What's happening next term?" Harry asked, looking bewildered.
Sean, however, had a pretty good guess.
Professor Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, was retiring at the end of the year. Rumor had it the old professor wanted to spend more time with his remaining limbs while he still had them.
Dumbledore was going to be delighted to announce his replacement: Rubeus Hagrid, who had agreed to take on the teaching post in addition to his duties as Gamekeeper.
It was hard to overstate just how much this meant to Hagrid. He felt such a deep sense of belonging at Hogwarts; becoming a professor was likely the greatest honor he could ever imagine.
Sadly, Hagrid had never technically been a qualified wizard. He'd been expelled in his third year for a crime he didn't commit. It was only recently that his name had been cleared, finally giving him this chance.
"Sean? Can I borrow yeh fer a second?" Hagrid called out suddenly, wearing a shy grin.
Ignoring the curious looks from the others, Sean nodded and followed him into the pumpkin patch.
"Look, I can't keep it from yeh. I know how hard yeh worked fer this. Yeh've helped me so much..."
Hagrid was practically glowing. "Professor Dumbledore said Professor Kettleburn is retirin' before next term... an' he asked me... he asked me..."
"Congratulations, Hagrid," Sean said with a warm smile. "So, what do you need my help with?"
"Oh! Is it that obvious?" Hagrid scratched his head, looking bashful.
Sean just chuckled. He didn't say anything, but his expression clearly said, It's fine, go ahead.
It reminded Hagrid of Dumbledore. And as for the rumors that the boy would one day surpass the Headmaster? Well, Hagrid believed them with all his heart.
"Alright then, sorry ter be a bother. Yeh see, once I'm a professor... a professor..." Hagrid beamed, savoring the word. "I'm gonna be so busy. Merlin's beard, just look at yer parents—they're run off their feet!"
At the mention of his parents, Sean's eyes flickered for a moment, but he stayed silent and kept listening.
"So, yeh see, I need someone ter help look after the Forest. There's a lot of cute little creatures in there—babies, really—that need lookin' after. Yeh're the only one who can handle it. I won't take up too much of yer time, o' course. Just when I'm swamped, I was hopin' I could call on yeh—usin' this magic map."
Hagrid held up a map of the grounds, looking at Sean with earnest, pleading eyes. "If yeh're willin', I'll ask Dumbledore ter make yeh the official Teaching Assistant for Care of Magical Creatures."
He looked positively bursting with joy.
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